SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A man charged with 11 offences - nine in B.C. and two in Yellowknife - was sentenced to 19 months in jail last week, minus time served awaiting his sentence.

RCMP allege this surveillance photo shows Scott Banks, 35, inside the downtown Independent Grocer on May 13, 2015. Banks was sentenced to serve 19 months in prison – minus time served in pretrial custody – for a list of 11 offences beginning in Kelowna, B.C., and ending with a pair of break-ins in Yellowknife – one at the downtown grocery store and another at Canadian Tire. - photo courtesy of RCMP

Charges against 35-year-old Scott Banks included: theft of a wireless speaker from a Walmart store in Kelowna, B.C., in November 2014, a number of drug possession charges, an assault charge for attacking a store security guard and a pair of charges for crimes committed in Yellowknife - one for breaking into the downtown Your Independent Grocer store and stealing more than $1,000 in cigarettes and another for stealing a television from Canadian Tire - all on May 13.

Banks was initially also charged with a break-in at the Yellowknife Shoppers Drugmart but those charges were withdrawn.

Territorial court judge Brian Bruser said Banks commits crimes to support an addiction to cocaine.

"He suffers from dangerous drug addictions," he said. "He can anticipate an early end to this life of his."

Banks appeared in court wearing a light-coloured sweater and a pair of glasses. He was visibly chatty with the court bailiff during a break in proceedings.

Bruser referred to a pre-sentencing report in which Bank's drug history was recorded.

Hashish and marijuana, LSD, ketamine, ecstasy, cocaine and crack-cocaine, heroin and other opiates, GHB, PCP and crystal methamphetamine were all on the list but Bruser said it's cocaine that has caused Banks the most trouble.

"When using heroin he could function," said Bruser. "That's not the case with cocaine. He would use it until it was all gone and and then look into getting more."

The judge said Banks will serve two years on probation following his release, during which time he is not to take any illegal drugs and abstain from alcohol and will be tested for illegal substances by way of drug testing if officers suspect he has been using them. Bruser ordered Banks to provide a sample of his DNA and applied a 10-year firearm prohibition against him.

Bruser credited him with 347.5 days for time already served in pretrial custody.

He ordered Banks to pay $2,289 in restitution to Walmart in Kelowna, and the Independent Grocer and Canadian Tire in Yellowknife.

"I accept you're remorseful and I accept you're trying to get better but the addictions did not commit the offenses," said Bruser. "Rest assured, the public has the right to go about it's lawful business without being endangered by your unlawful behaviour."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.